Border guards of Kalvarija, southwestern Lithuania, have detained a Latvian citizen transporting to Western Europe a Syrian father and son who had applied for asylum in Latvia. The driver faces criminal charges, while the Syrian citizens will be sent back to Latvia.

On Tuesday, Kalvarija border guards pulled over an Audi A6 shortly before its departure to Poland. The driver was identified as a 36-year-old Latvian citizen. The two passengers were identified after Lithuanian border guards contacted their Latvian counterparts. Under the law, the two Syrians cannot leave Latvia until their asylum applications are processed